What happens when a mature woman falls victim to the allure of the modern Asian Ball Jointed Doll? Will the devious doll divas succeed in separating balljointedwoman from her hard earned cash? Which diva will earn herself a new fashion this week? Stay tuned for the latest installment of As the Resin World Turns.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The World Grows Hazy

What can one say about Hazy? She is exquisite, no doubt about it. That she was born from a period of confusion in her creator's life (hence her name) is even more astounding. As the story goes, Rainman was going through a period of anger and doubt. A small, whimsical doll that he had created was not well received by his collectors, who had grown to love and desire his large Elfgirls. In a fit of pique he sculpted a new girl whose subtle Asian beauty truly captures the viewer's (as well as her sculptor's) soul.

The limited edition Hazy was almost bereft of makeup, presenting instead a strong, young Asian woman whose beauty needed no artifice. I wish I had bought that one. Instead, I waited for the standard edition (it was a question of money) and in late 2008 Standard Hazy arrived at Resin Corner. I have tried several times to rename her, but she stubbornly clings to the name she was born with: Hazy.

Pan-Asian Beauty: a Korean doll

wearing a Japanese-inspired outfit

in front of Chinese architecture.

Above is Hazy in "Orientale Moderne" from MHD designs. Hazy came with two sets of hands: one pair open and one pair closed. Presumably the fists represent the sculptor's feelings at the time he created her. I find I like her best wearing one hand from each set--the fist is just loose enough that I can hook something onto it, such as the tiny paper crane she is holding in the above photo.

Not content to stand around looking like a Korean doll, Hazy demanded more fashions. She decided she wanted something she could wear on the street. Here she is in Adams-Harris's "Annabella". She refused to be photographed without her paper crane.

Her next outfit was rather more ambitious, as it consisted of a dress with underskirt, and a coat with matching hat and bag. The ensemble, from MHD Designs, is called "Sans Pretention". It was designed for the small bust version of Sooah, so my large bust Sooah can't wear the dress, although the coat is loose enough to fit. Hazy has Elfdoll's new body, with a smaller, higher bust meant to make the doll's clothes fit as if she were wearing a push-up bra. Sooah's loss is Hazy's gain.

The most recent addition to Hazy's wardrobe is another Adams-Harris pattern, this one called "Sweet Jane". The designer made the prototype in black and white. I chose to embrace color instead. Here Hazy sits on the ironing board in the "Sweet Jane" blouse and the underskirt from "Sans Pretention". The mound of tulle next to her is in the process of becoming the crinoline to the new outfit.

At left is the completed outfit. The photo does not show the crinoline, which extends beyond the lace at the bottom of the skirt. I was fortunate to find a pale lilac lace that exactly matches the skirt fabric. I don't recall whether the long vest fabric is Japanese or Japanese-inspired. Either way, I just love its floral design and colors.

I have yet to take a photo of both Elfgirls together. If I did, you would see that Hazy with the new body is a couple of inches shorter than Sooah with the old body. Hazy's hands are smaller and more delicate. Another difference: Hazy's face sculpt is more true-to-life compared to Sooah's, which is more doll-like. Many BJD sculpts seem to be inspired by Japanese anime and manga cartoons, with their large, exaggerated eyes. Hazy's eyes are more in scale with her features. She wears a smaller size wig, as well as a smaller size eye. And I know that any time I goof, and a dress meant for Sooah comes out too small, Hazy can wear it. (I thought this outfit was going to be Sooah's until we tried on the blouse and I couldn't make the fronts overlap. It was a bit of a stretch to get it on Hazy. Luckily, no gaps!)

Next time, a petite charmer named Narae enters our lives and steals a certain Limho Mono's heart away.